Newsroom

On average, adults in the United States sit for over 12 hours a day. This sedentary lifestyle is becoming increasingly more common largely due to jobs that require sitting for prolonged periods, long commutes, TV binge watching and increased cell phone usage. But, this lifestyle can cause real harm to overall health. Sitting down for extended stretches increases the risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity, even in those who exercise regularly. Often, prolon... ... Read More

By: M. Scott Brashier, D.O. During the month of April each year, we recognize national Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month and focus efforts to help increase community education and awareness about the risk of esophageal cancer posed by persistent reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease.) An estimated 1 in every 5 American adults suffers from GERD, which is a chronic condition caused by changes in the gastroesophageal valve that allow stomach contents to flow back up into the esophagus. Left untre... ... Read More

The skilled and compassionate hands of physicians, nurses and other team members of Merit Health Biloxi support the health and well-being of patients who turn to the hospital for expert care. Beyond providing clinical care, Merit Health Biloxi is a cornerstone of our community and a major contributor to the economic health of the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a major employer and tax-payer and through resources it invests to expand and enhance the medical services available close to home. The overall impact... ... Read More

In celebration of National Doctors’ Day, Merit Health Biloxi honored its medical staff by donating to a local charity. While Doctors’ Day is a day set aside to recognize physicians for their skills, sacrifice and service to the community, this year the hospital’s medical staff elected to have a donation given to a local nonprofit in lieu of receiving a gift. This is a testament to their ongoing care and compassion toward others. The physicians voted Back Bay Mission as the nonprofit organization to rece... ... Read More

To help address hunger in our community, and in celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, Merit Health Biloxi is donating more than 60 jars of peanut butter (and other nut butters) to Back Bay Mission. All of that peanut butter was donated by Merit Health Biloxi’s employees, medical staff members, and volunteers during the recent Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive. According to Feeding America, 483,700 people are facing hunger in Mississippi and 144,320 of them are children. The Jars... ... Read More

For Lesley Isaacs, having a colonoscopy didn’t seem necessary. “I had taken an at-home screening, and it had come back negative. I also don’t have colon cancer in my family history, so I thought I was good and didn’t need one for a few years still,” Lesley said. To her amazement, during the colonoscopy, they found cancer. “I was shocked… shocked!” explained Lesley. “I have a daughter at home and was immediately afraid I wouldn’t be there for her.” Lesley chose to have her surgery at Merit Health Biloxi ... ... Read More

Every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with a type of dementia, which is the general term for the loss of memory, language and ability to make decisions enough that it impacts everyday life. Caused by damage to brain cells, dementia is becoming increasingly more common and a leading cause of disability and dependency among older Americans. However, evidence suggests living a healthy lifestyle could help prevent severe cognitive decline and a dementia diagnosis. Below are a few lifestyle ... ... Read More

An easy formula to promote prevention, awareness of common cancer By: Navin Barot, M.D. Cancer of the colon is the fourth most common cancer in the United States – and, caught early, it’s also one of the most curable. About 90 percent of individuals whose cancer is found before it has spread survive five years after diagnosis. But, if not caught at this point, the five-year survival rate is just 10 percent. Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine, the lower part of the digestive system. Most cases... ... Read More

More than a million Americans suffer a heart attack each year—and nearly twenty percent of them die, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Unfortunately, many Americans are not familiar with the early symptoms of a heart attack—knowledge that could spur them to seek treatment earlier, minimizing heart damage and saving lives. That’s why Merit Health Biloxi is joining in the efforts to increase awareness of heart attack warning signs. A heart attack rarely happens without warning, so it is p... ... Read More

Hitting the proper sleep target is one key to your heart health Everyone knows there is value in getting a good night’s sleep. After all, no one wants to fall asleep during a lunch date or at the conference table in a 3 pm meeting! But one of the best reasons to consistently pursue the right amount of quality sleep is the impact it has on your heart. A very large European study published in 2011 involved the sleep patterns of nearly 475,000 people. Results indicated that “short sleepers” – defined as le... ... Read More